Canberra parents will be able to check substantiated safety breaches and enforcement action taken against childcare centres under a new public register being developed by the ACT Government.
The register is among a series of reforms detailed in a government response tabled in the Legislative Assembly, alongside plans to significantly increase audits and quality assessments over the next two years.
The government is also considering whether to give the ACT childcare regulator another enforcement option by establishing an infringement notice system.
Children’s Education and Care Assurance (CECA) cannot currently issue infringement notices for offences under the National Law, meaning prosecution is the only option if it wants to pursue a financial penalty.
The government is examining the cost and viability of a fines framework, which would require legislative changes and new penalty, compliance and enforcement systems.
The response follows a February motion from Independent MLA Thomas Emerson calling for reforms to improve safety and transparency in early childhood education and care. The motion included a public register of enforcement actions and greater regulatory scrutiny.
There are about 374 early childhood education and care services in the ACT, attended by more than 31,000 children.
CECA will establish a website with a register of specified enforcement actions that can be published under the National Law. Families will be able to see details of substantiated breaches and the action taken by the regulator.
“Families deserve to know the safety record of early learning centres they’re considering for their children,” Mr Emerson said.
Read the article here: https://region.com.au/childcare-safety-breaches-to-go-on-public-register-as-act-steps-up-scrutiny-of-centres/1001022/